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Ymir walked in on Krista collapsed on the floor, slowly nursing cracked and bleeding feet.
“There you are... Krista!”
“It’s nothing! I’m alright!”
She tried rolling her thick woollen socks back on before Ymir could get a look in the dark.
“Ahh!”
Blood was soaking through the threads of the socks.
“Idiot.”
She looked both ways outside, then quickly shut the cabin door. They were mostly in shadow, with all the lamps off, and she followed Krista’s lead by staying out of the little evening light making it through the windows.
“Played the hero again? Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“I wasn’t. What would you know about it, anyway? Slacking off right before evaluation.”
“Well, I’m not the one with broken feet!” Ymir retorted. “Hold still.”
She picked up the damp rag Krista had been trying to use. The backs of her soles were all broken skin and micro blisters crept around her toes.
“It’s fine,” Krista said.
She winced as Ymir dabbed her toes.
“Sorry. It stings, right?”
Krista was tight-lipped. She didn’t give her the satisfaction of looking her way.
Ymir smirked. Krista looked golden in the evening sun.
“Some day, when this is all over, y’know, I’m gonna marry ya.”
“You always say that.”
“Yeah. That’s me.” She grinned. Krista caught a glimpse and couldn’t help but smile. “So, which idiot’s score were you trying to help boost?”
She didn’t answer, but her face burned up bright red so noticeable even in the faint light.
“Alright," she was annoyed, "but you’re not going to make the top 10 like that.”
“Neither are you! What the hell do you think you’re doing out there? Where even were you during the forest simulation?”
“Just fighting my own way.”
She tore off the bottom of her shirt to use as a bandage for Krista’s feet. Her midriff was exposed, tan and taut from years of military training and sun.
“It’s not much. Just a little better than a rag.” She wrapped it round her feet.
“Why do you care if I make the top 10 anyway, Ymir? Does it really matter?”
“Living matters, yeah.”
“So why aren’t you trying to? You could get into the MPs. I know you could if you ever tried. Why do you die, and I get to live?”
*70 years later*
“You’re here.” She couldn’t believe it.
“I waited.”
At the co-ordinate, all paths meet. They stood, reunited, in the sand, below the constellation that stretched out above them. Titans were gone from the world, but the connections between people could never be lost.
*70 years earlier*
“You’re lucky you can get away with tomorrow's final test on nubs for feet.” Ymir stretched and yawned. She slunk over to a bedpost to pull herself up.
“I can’t stand up,” Krista said in a small voice.
“What?” Ymir had stood and shook herself awake.
“Help me.” She sounded so tiny. Helpless.
Ymir was frozen in shock. Krista looked up at her from the grimy floor of the cabin. Her eyes were wide and pleading and full of shame.
“Yeah,” Ymir heard herself say. She knelt before her and offered a hand.
They dragged her, working together, into a bed. Krista was able to move herself into a comfortable position from there, and Ymir stole a pillow from another bed to prop up her feet so they hung in the air rather than having to touch the bed all night.
The day had been exhausting, but more than that they were coming to the end of three years training. Soon they’d be full fledged recruits. There was only uncertainty now. Ymir dragged a blanket over Krista.
Krista gently sobbed.
Ymir had been wondering whether to leave, but in her heart she never could have anyway. She stroked the hair out of Krista’s eyes. One of her sobs got a laugh and a smile mixed painfully into it. Ymir pulled back the covers and slunk in besides Krista. Krista pulled herself close to Ymir and tucked her head under Ymir’s chin. She was trembling a little. Ymir wrapped her arms around her and pulled herself close, surrounding Krista's whole body with hers.
In her own heart, Krista had suddenly realised Ymir was slacking to give Krista a shot at the top 10 – because Ymir thought then Krista could chose the MPs and be safe. But didn’t she realise that would mean Ymir would be in danger? She never thought anything through!
She was angry, and wanted to tell Ymir so, but tired as she was, and already falling asleep, the anger went, and the only thought Historia had, as she started to feel warm, was suddenly she couldn’t wait for the day Ymir asked her to marry her for real.
She was sure she dreamt it, but she felt warmth on her lips, like a kiss. She smiled.
She reached up to meet it, not sure if she was really awake, if she was merely imagining moving, and shared her own warmth back. Her trembling had long stopped.